Cleveland, Wilson schools to split grades, focus

Cleveland Elementary first grade teacher Angela Taylor does a read-aloud with her first-graders Aug. 29. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, Cleveland Elementary School will house kindergarten through second grade and will focus on literacy.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)Buy Photo

Two struggling schools in Port Huron will combine forces in an effort to increase success rates and increase focus on different subject matter at different levels.

However, some parents are not thrilled.

Starting in the 2018-19 school year, students who go to Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson elementary schools could experience some shuffling. Cleveland will teach kindergarten through second-grade students and will focus on literacy, and Woodrow Wilson will house third through fifth grades and focus on STEM programming.

"This plan is about transforming Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson into state of the art learning institutions," said Superintendent Jamie Cain in an email. "We developed this plan as the education leaders for our district. We know this is the right thing to do for these students and their needs. We are investing in these two schools and communities because they have the greatest need."

Both schools were identified as priority schools, which means they performed in the bottom 5 percent of schools in Michigan on state assessments. Districts have the option to close priority schools, Cain said.

The plan to restructure the schools began to form a year ago, shortly after voters passed a $105.9 million bond. Administrators and board President Ann Murphy were part of the discussion. The rest of the board is aware of the change and is expected to approve the plan this fall.

While a state law going into effect in 2019-20 will require students who are at least one grade level behind in reading by the end of third-grade be held back, officials said that was not a driving force in the change.

Busing will be available to eligible students, but other logistics are still in the works. Staffing is reconfigured yearly, and calendars depend on contract negotiations with the teacher's union, said Tracie Eschenburg, executive director of employee and student services.

Ideally, Cleveland Elementary will return to a traditional school year from a year-round school year, said Catherine Woolman, executive director of instructional services. She also said the district hopes the two schools will start before Labor Day for the 2018-19 school year. Research shows more time in school improves student performance.

"To truly impact student achievement and learning, additional time is one of those factors you have to consider," she said.

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Cleveland Elementary first grade teacher Olivia Chavez does a read-aloud with her first-graders Aug. 29. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, Cleveland Elementary School will house kindergarten through second grade and will focus on literacy.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)

The school day at Woodrow Wilson was lengthened by 15 minutes last year, and Cleveland will add 15 minutes per day this year, Eschenburg said. The state requires more instructional time be added at priority schools.

While the different schools will focus on different areas of learning, they will still meet curriculum standards. At the kindergarten through second-grade levels, literacy will be infused into every subject. For example, science lessons may incorporate more reading than they did before. In third through fifth grade, lessons will emphasize problem solving and critical thinking skills and incorporate STEM programming.

Woolman said the students will not have a hard time transitioning between the learning styles, as the concept of learning basic skills versus applying them is introduced in third grade anyway.

The transition from one building to another shouldn't be a big deal either, Woolman said. The two schools will have joint activities starting this year to gather community input and make students more familiar with both buildings.

Any student in the district is welcome to attend the learning academies, but applying through Schools of Choice may be required depending on where the student lives.

Eschenburg said the district will hold community meetings and talks about the transitions later this fall to make sure parents have a chance to voice their concerns and ask questions.

However, not being able to participate in the conversation earlier is what has some parents upset.

Nicole Stockwell is president of the Cleveland Action Team, the school's parent group. She also works at the school as a noon-hour supervisor and has a daughter in kindergarten. Her son will start kindergarten next year.

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Cleveland Elementary paraprofessional Antoinette Vultaggio reads with a kindergartener and talks about rhyming words Aug. 29. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, Cleveland Elementary School will house kindergarten through second grade and will focus on literacy.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)

"We were completely blindsided," she said.

Stockwell said she is never opposed to new curriculum that could help students succeed. However, dividing the grade levels could split up students in the same families, making getting to and from school difficult.

"As a mom of 10, I can tell you adding another school to my daily pickups and dropoffs is going to be a nightmare," Amanda Mahon Spears, a Woodrow Wilson parent, said through Facebook messenger. "I have two at Northern, three at Holland and four at Woodrow right now, so next year I will have one in Cleveland as well? Assuming the start of the day is the same and end is the same, the logistics are not going to work."

Some parents sent their students to Woodrow Wilson instead of Cleveland and vice versa through schools of choice, Stockwell said. She estimated 20 to 30 parents have told her they will pull their children out of the district if the change is enacted. She said this is sad because she thinks Cain's work as superintendent and the passing of the bond have both been positives for the district.

"(Cain) doesn't realize how much of an impact it has actually taken," Stockwell said.

The Cleveland Action Team has started an online petition that had 76 supporters as of Thursday morning, with a goal of 1,000.

Mary Williams, who has four children at Cleveland and is on the executive committee of the NAACP, said the school has faced many changes recently. Four principals have taken the reins over the past five years, and Project Child, a system where students changed teachers for different subjects, has come and gone. The year-round calendar will also end if the plan to combine the schools' students goes through. She and Stockwell said the programs weren't around long enough to see if they worked and compared the students to guinea pigs.

"How can you measure the success of a program if you don't follow through to see the outcome?" Williams said.

Williams had a chance to meet with Cain, Theo Kerhoulas, executive director of operations and innovation, and Michelle Kristick, principal at Cleveland, to discuss concerns. She said the meetings were open and honest, and her concerns were heard.

Contact Grace Turner at (810) 989-6276 or gturner@gannett.com.Follow her on Twitter @gracempturner